


The Lion's Teeth, The Lion's Eyes

by taichara



Category: Dissidia Duodecim: Final Fantasy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-22
Updated: 2017-10-22
Packaged: 2019-01-21 05:42:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 727
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12450798
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/taichara/pseuds/taichara
Summary: Squall decides to take matters into his own hands, get rid of a friend's persistent problem, and maybe acquire some interesting new tricks of his own in the process ~





	The Lion's Teeth, The Lion's Eyes

**Author's Note:**

> _prompt:_ "trope - Cannibalism Superpower"

Beneath a sunless sky the earth crumbled, pillars toppled, crystal cliffsides sheared away, and showers of glittering splinters sharp as razors sprayed across the two combatants in black and white and dully shining steel -- not that either noticed. Nicks and slices and small bone bruises were nothing compared to what they were inflicting on each other.

Outwardly a stolid mask of professional indifference, Squall cursed silently in a steady torrent of earthy expletives as he jerked himself sidewise, half rolling to dodge and block the deadly whistling ribbon of razored death that aimed squarely where, scant beats before, his head was. Sephiroth's mocking little smile flashed by as swiftly as his sword had; they rushed past each other, slashing, probing, each searching for that one chance to strike through the others' defenses.

One chance was all Squall needed. Just one.

A flurry of sudden slashing blows launched him suddenly off course, gritting his teeth against the onslaught. Now he _did_ spit, ignoring the rumble of mad laughter that poured into his ear and roaring back with an explosive arc of vibrating gunblade that -- unexpectedly, and welcome -- took the gloating Sephiroth clear off his feet and sent him crashing like a limp ragdoll in black against a pillar's glittering roots. 

Squall paused; the world seemed to lag in slow motion as his heart began to race and all he could think -- panting, clutching Lionheart, tongue running over teeth already sharpening as he stalked towards his adversary -- in that moment was that he could end it all. Here. Now. Forever take one game piece of the battlefield.

His mouth watered. How long had it been? How long _was_ it since he'd been dragged into these stupid "cycles", anyway, gaining and losing memories at a goddess' whim? And Sephiroth -- how many times did he find new ways to torment Squall's comrades-in-arms? It didn't matter how many times the monster was put down, Cloud had muttered once; it didn't matter how many times he was killed, or sealed away, or whatever happened, Sephiroth always clawed his way back to plague him all over again … and that was _before_ this stupid godwar.

Well, not this time.

This time Squall was feeling pissy, and vindictive. And hungry.

Of course, while Squall ruminated Sephiroth was wasting no time shaking off the disorientation from his impact with the pillar. With casual unconcern he rallied, surging to his feet and calling Masamune to his hand --

"Not today."

\-- and a fang-sharp blade punched through his gut and pinned him to the pillar's glittering stone. Sephiroth convulsed, spat blood and foam, wrenched his head up to fix sea-fire eyes on his assailant, and began to lever Lionheart free with gloved and bloodied hands.

"This … is not enough … to kill me."

"Oh, I know."

Something in Squall's voice killed the arrogance stone dead. Sephiroth paused his struggling to look, truly look, at the SEED for the first time -- and what he saw stuck him with the first spike of true terror he'd felt in a long, long time.

Squall saw the look in the pinioned Sephiroth's eyes and smiled a hunter's smile.

"I know all about your tricks, Sephiroth; did you think Strife didn't tell us all about you? But don't misunderstand me. This _is_ the end. I'll put you to good use, though.

"And I have to ask, just out of curiosity -- do alien DNA and mako change the taste?"

Then Sephiroth saw the teeth.

Then his world was frenzied agony.

Then nothing.

-*-

Reappearing in their midst all at once, Squall sent half of Cosmos' warriors into momentary panic -- which was fair enough, really, because being splattered with blood from head to foot was a damned good reason for panic. But he shrugged off all concern -- and Bartz's questions, and Zidane's nosy poking, Terra's anxious stare and the long, long look, unreadable, from the silent Warrior of Light -- stalking in a long and easy lope towards Cloud, who slowly lifted a brow in question at this sudden apparition.

All the more so when Masamune suddenly clattered to the ground at his feet.

Squall smiled thinly, sharply --

"Your little problem's taken care of, Strife. Trust me."

\-- and Cloud did not miss the slitted, inhuman glow of now too-blue eyes. Or the familiar prickling down his nerves.

Silent, he stooped to pick up the slender blade.

Better not to ask.


End file.
